Advertising sign



' July 20, 1943.

e. w. PARKER .JR

ADVERTISING SIGN Original Filed Dec. 1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- Georye WPar-Icer, Jr,

ATTORNEYS. I

m1 NNER N RN July 20, 1943- s. w. PARKERHIR ADVERTISING SIGN Original Filed D86. 1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

George I [Parken J14, BY W M rrompvs.

Patented July 20, 1943 UNETED STATES PTENT OFFICE ADVERTISING SIGN Uriginal application December 1, 1938, Serial No. 243,327. Divided and this application October 24, 1940, Serial No. 362,508

8 Claims.

This invention relates to advertising signs, particularly to signs useful in connection with commercial vehicle bodies, the present application being a division of a co-pending application Serial No. 243,327 filed by me on December 1, 1938, now Patent No. 2,222,986.

My invention has for its primary object the provision of a sign of the kind referred to with incorporated attaching means, which i of simple construction, which lends itself to expeditious and economic manufacture as a metallic structure from standardized stock materials; and which, though relatively light in weight, is strong and sturdy for capacity to serve as a reinforcing tie member on the vehicle body wherewith it is used.

Another object of my invention is to afford in connection with a sign having the above attributes, auxiliary means for effectively sustaining it intermediate its ends, which means is to be likewise capable of ready and cheap manufacture from standard stock materials.

Other objects and attendant advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partlyin longitudinal section, of a metallic truck body together with a lengthwise-extending overhead advertising sign constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the organization taken as indicated by the angled arrows IIII in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal sectional view taken as indicated by the angled arrows III-III in Fig. 2 and showing how the sign is anchored at the front end of the truck body.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken as indicated by the arrows IVIV in Fig. 1, and showing how the sign is supported intermediate the length of the truck body.

Fig. 5 is a detail view similar to Fig. 3 showing how the sign is anchored at the rear end.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view corresponding to Fig. 1 showing a modification in the construction of the sign.

In Figs. 1-5, the advertising sign of my invention is comprehensively designated by the numeral l5; and in order that the manner of mounting it may be more readil understood, I will first briefly describe the illustrated truck body, which i of the same construction as that featured in the co-pending application hereinbefore referred to, and formed wholly of metal. As shown, the truck body comprises a pair of laterally spaced Z section sills l6, and uprights or posts I! of channel section which are equi-spaced in rows along opposite sides of the body and which rest on the inwardly-directed bottom flanges of the sills with their backs bearing against the vertical webs of said sills as shown in Fig. 2. At uniform intervals of the height of the body the uprights or posts ll are connected by cross members l8 of invert channel section, whereof the ends extend beyond said posts. also as shown in Fig. 2; and to the ends of said cross members are secured side longitudinals or rails IQ of sheet metal with upturned rounded beads and with inwardly directed bottom flanges, which, together with oppositely-directed bottom flanges on the cross members I8, provide multiple retaining shelves for bottle cases C or the like, said shelves being accessible from opposite sides of the body for convenience of ready loading and unloading. The lowermost longitudinal rails l9 are formed as channels and are of substantially the same depth as the sills [6, for service as ornamental reinforcing side aprons for the body. Diagonally-arranged braces 28 connecting adjacent uprights I! at opposite sides of the body add to the rigidity of the structure. At its front and rear ends the body is closed by walls 2| and 22 which extend somewhat above the uppermost cross member l9. The frames of the walls 2| and 22 are formed from angle bars 23 and 24 bent to invert V shape with their side flanges directed inwardly; while the panels 25 and 26 of said walls are formed from sheets whereof the top and side edge margins abut the flanges of the frame angles as shown in Fig. 1.

The sign l5, with the construction of which the present invention is more especially concerned, extends lengthwise above the truck body in the longitudinal median plane of the latter. Fundamentally the sign consists of a frame with upper and lower parallel bars 21, 28 and an in.- sert 29 of sheet metal, the upper bar 21 being bent downward at opposite ends for abutment thereagainst of the ends of the lower bar 28'. From Fig. 2 it will be observed that the bars 21 and 28 are tubular, and slotted as at 36 and 3| to form an internal perimetric groove in the sign frame for reception of the edge margins of the panel 29.. The bars 2! and 28 may be permanently connected together at the regions of abutment by welding, and the panel 29 secured to them by suitably spaced rivets such as shown at 32 in Fig. 3. At the front end of the sign, the down-turned portion of the upper frame bar 21 is extended somewhat below the lower bar 28 as at 33 in Figs. 1 and 3, and inserted therein is a thimble shaped sleeve 35 whereof the circumferential flange rests upon the top of the frame angle 23 of the wall 2| at the forward end of the truck body. The sleeve 35 may be secured within the down-turned front end of the bar 21 by welding; and in turn secured within said sleeve in a like manner is a shank 35 which is adapted to extend downward through vertically aligned apertures in the crosswise portion of the angle bar 23 of the front end wall 2|, in the corresponding uppermost cross member N3 of the truck body, and in an angle lug 31 affixed to the front wall panel 25 as shown in Fig. 2 and under-reaching said cross member. The lower end of the shank 36 is threaded to take a securing nut 38 which clamps against the lug 31; and a tubular spacer 39 surrounds said shank in the interval between the angle 23 and the uppermost cross member l8 of the truck body., At the rear end of the truck body, see Figs. 1 and 5, the sign frame bars 27 and 28 meet at a point beyond the back wall 22. Somewhat inward of this juncture of the bars 21, 28 a thimble 4B and a pendant shank 4| are welded to the lower bar 23, said shank passing through vertically-aligned apertures in the crosswise portion of the back wall frame angle 24, the corresponding uppermost cross member H3 at that end of said body and lug 42 secured to the panel 26 of said back wall, a securing nut 43 and a spacing sleeve 4|] being here used for the same purpose as at the front end of the sign.

If desired the construction of the rear end of the sign l may be exactly like that at the front end, that is to say, the rear end of the upper bar 2! may be bent downward at right angles and extended below the lower bar 28 as at 45 in Fig. 6, provided with a thimble portion 46, a threaded shank 41, a securing net 48, and an associated spacer sleeve 49.

Intermediate its ends the sign I5 is supported by a bracket which is shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and there generally designated by the numeral 50. This bracket 5|] comprises an invert V shaped main bracing component 5| fashioned from round bar stock, whereof the ends of the legs are passed through apertures in one of the intermediate cross members N3 of the truck body.

As shown in Fig. l, the leg ends of the component 5| are threaded to take clamp nuts 52 with interposition of washer plates 53 which span the hollow of the cross member |8 at the bottom. The bracket 59 also comprises a smaller invert V component 55 which is disposed within the plane of the main component 5| and likewise fashioned from round bar stock with outwardly extending apertured feet 56 for penetration by the ends of said main component 5|. The supplemental component 55 is secured by means of clamp nuts 5'! which threadedly engage the legs of the main component 5| and which bear downward upon the feet 56 of said supplemental component. The crotch of the main bracket component 5| is rounded to receive the upper bar 21 of the sign frame, which bar is held in fixed relation by means of the U bolt 58. To the lower bar 28 of the sign frame is welded or otherwise secured at the center, a threaded bolt 59 which passes down through an aperture in the flattened central portion 60 of the bracket component 55; and nuts 6| are provided on the bolt 59 to clamp against the top and bottom of the raised medial portion of the support 55, whereby the sign is rigidly secured with capacity for adjustment to said bracket component.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided an advertising sign of simple and inexpensive construction which is so mounted as to constitute an effective lengthwise top tie member which adds to the strength and rigidity of the truck body.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An advertising sign structure for use on a truck body, including a panel; and a transverse brace means having a central notch to engage over the top edge of the panel and side legs whereof the ends are adapted to penetrate the truck body for anchorage, and a crosswise member extending between the legs of the brace to support the lower edge of the panel.

2. The invention according to claim 1, in which a shank pendent from the lower edge of the panel engages into a central aperture in the crosswise member. 7

3. The invention according to claim 1, in which the transverse support is disposed medially of the ends of the panel; and in which said panel has pendent shanks at opposite ends thereof for anchorage in the truck body.

1. An advertising sign structure of the character described comprising a framed panel; and a transverse support including a main invert V shaped brace component whereof the vertex engages over the top edge of the frame, and a smaller invert V shaped brace component within said main component whereof the top or vertex constitutes a rest for the lower edge of the sign and whereof the legs are connected at their bottom ends to the leg bottoms of said main component.

5. An advertising sign structure according to claim 4, in which the legs of the auxiliary brace component have laterally extending apertured feet, and in which the leg ends of the main component are anchored in the apertures of the feet of said auxiliary component.

6. An advertising sign structure according to claim l, including an anchoring shank pendent from the lower edge of the panel frame and engaged in an aperture in the auxiliary brace component.

7. An advertising sign structure according to claim 4, in which the transverse support is disposed medially of the panel frame, and in which said frame has pendent anchorage shanks at opposite ends thereof.

8. An advertising sign structure according to claim 4, in which the sign panel frame is formed from two one-piece components, one of generally invert U configuration providing the top horizontal and end portions of the frame, and the other being straight to constitute the lower horizontal of the frame and having its ends secured in abutting relation to the end portions of the first component, said frame being perimetrically slotted internally for reception of the panel edges.

GEORGE W. PARKER, JR. 

